Regional Morels - Southwest Region

Finding Morels in The Southwest Region

As large as this region is we should be quick to note the morel only thrives in the eastern section this region. Once you get so far west the morels are far and few between. To get a better ideas of where this cut-off point is, it is recommended you take a look at some of the sightings maps.

Map of the 2018 SW Sightings

Morels in this region are primarily found in the upper north east of parts of Texas and in Oklahoma they can be found from the central part of the state to the east. Many more hunters in these regions report very successful forages.

The northeast region of Oklahoma and along the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line is where the morel is found in more abundance.

Debbie, W from North Central Texas provided a good bit of information for this region which will typically start seeing morels around mid-March to mid-April. Challenges are what many of morel hunts face, although her additional comments from the survey say a lot about the challenges morel hunters in Northeast Texas face…

…the woods in our area are not like the woods most have the fortune of hunting in. They are not the damp woods like Georgia and not the lush woods like the Pacific Northwest. They are hot and dry woods which makes finding a honey hole a big challenge. What most of these other places produce in a day is what we consider a great haul for the entire growing season.

Other factors as with most regions are due to the weather and she has her thoughts on the spring weather…”A good year will see temps in the 70’s during the day and the 40’s-50’s at night with several days of rain. Without spring rain we have no morels.” Debbie goes on to say, the competition is not bad as many people are unaware of morel hunting, and couple that with the fact the morels are so sparse. She also adds that patience and lots of walking often will reward you.

Lots of patience and prayers for spring rains. We don’t live in the best area for finding morels and sometimes you can spend days before you will find a place that is productive. Find an area of hardwoods that is damp with little undergrowth and start looking.

The Great Morel did not receive any survey feedback from anyone in Oklahoma, however, the morels are more plentiful there than they are in parts of Texas. The seasons will run about the same time of the year and the woods will tend to have similar characteristics with elms, cedars and oak trees. Most sightings are reported from Oklahoma City to the eastern part of the state. The northeast part of the state seems to be the most popular for the morels.

Woods in the areas where morels are found are typically made up of hardwoods with elm, oaks, hickory, hackberry and cedars. Lots of leaf litter but little undergrowth. Debbie claims “Most good areas have some slopes.”

In summary – this region’s geographical location alone, presents its challenges as the further south you are – the fewer the morels; the farther west you are – the fewer the morels. Those in the northeast part of this region are going to have a bit more success, and as with the morel life cycle in all regions – Mother Nature must be kind.

Additional resources for hunting morels in Oklahoma can be found: